Chapter 4 - The Lovers Turn on Each Other
When the doors to the VIP boardroom finally opened, the gala outside had transformed into a scene of chaotic whispers. The music had stopped. The employees were clustered in small groups, watching the doors with bated breath.
Brooke was waiting right outside, pacing the hallway nervously. When she saw Daniel emerge, flanked by the corporate litigator and a hotel security guard, she rushed toward him.
"Daniel! What happened? Did you get her kicked out?" Brooke demanded, completely oblivious to the massacre that had just occurred.
Daniel stopped. He looked at the beautiful, younger woman he had sacrificed his entire existence for. He looked at the woman whose brother had just handed him over to the federal government.
"You stupid, greedy bitch," Daniel spat, his voice echoing loudly in the hallway for dozens of employees to hear. "Your idiot brother gave them everything! We're ruined! I lost the company!"
Brooke’s face drained of color. "What do you mean, Zachary gave them everything? You told me this was foolproof! You told me she was too stupid to check the vendor logs!"
"I told you to be quiet!" Daniel roared, completely losing what was left of his composure. He lunged toward her, but the hotel security guard instantly restrained him, pinning his arms behind his back.
Brooke backed away, her hands flying to her mouth. The reality of the situation crashed down on her. She turned toward me as I walked calmly out of the boardroom.
"Claire, I didn't know!" Brooke lied, tears of pure terror springing to her eyes. "He forced me into it! He said if I didn't help him funnel the money, he would fire me! I'm a victim here!"
I looked at the red wine still staining the front of my silk dress. Then I looked into Brooke’s desperate, panicked eyes.
"You poured wine on me because you thought you held all the cards," I said, my voice carrying effortlessly down the hallway. "You are not a victim, Brooke. You are just a very sloppy criminal."
I turned to the HR director, who was standing nearby, watching the spectacle with wide eyes. "Susan, please ensure Miss Lawson’s desk is cleared out by security. She is terminated for gross misconduct and corporate fraud. Do not allow her back on the premises."
As two security guards grabbed Brooke by the elbows to escort her out of the hotel, the grand entrance doors of the ballroom swung open. Two uniformed police officers and a plainclothes detective walked in, holding a warrant.
May you like
"Daniel Vale," the detective said, flashing his badge. "You are under arrest for conspiracy to commit federal wire fraud and embezzlement. Turn around and put your hands behind your back."
The entire ballroom of 143 employees watched in absolute, stunned silence as their former boss was handcuffed in his tailored tuxedo. Brooke was crying hysterically as she was dragged out the side doors, her glamorous evening ending in total humiliation. I stood perfectly still, watching the police read my husband his rights, feeling a profound, untouchable sense of peace.
